Jahri Evans On Bucs’ Radar?
December 27th, 2014
Joe knows many Bucs fans are sick and tired of Band-Aid moves on the offensive line.
Logan Mankins was brought in to heal a preseason wound that wouldn’t scab.
It still hasn’t.
Demar Dotson at left tackle? It’s a nice idea, but what are Dotson’s odds of transitioning into a solid left tackle at 30 years old? What a stunner it would be if Dotson can pull it off.
Bucs fans, some of them, also are leery of former Saints offensive linemen. The Jeff Faine experience and Carl Nicks’ health issues (pre-MRSA) have many wondering whether it’s a red flag when Saints head coach Sean Payton is willing to wave goodbye to an O-lineman.
Many reports out of New Orleans claim the Saints need to cut salaries and Pro Bowl guard Jahri Evans is a prime target for release. Evans, 31, is heading to his sixth consecutive Pro Bowl, but this NOLA.com story explains why he might be on the free agent market soon.
The mysterious, typically nameless and faceless film geeks over at ProFootballFocus.com claim Evans’ play has dropped off considerably, though Joe trusts them about as much as Bill Belicheat.
Joe points all this out because the Bucs need help on the offensive line. That might be the understatement of the year. If Evans is cut, a Saints salary cap casualty, then how could the Bucs not at least assess his market value and value to a team trotting out Patrick Omameh and Josh Allen at right guard?
Evans is a guy Bucs fans can keep an extra eye on Sunday.
You never know what the Bucs might do. Remember, Lovie Smith says the team is “on the verge.”
December 27th, 2014 at 11:08 am
PLEASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE NO 31 YEAR OLD PUZZLE PIECES ON THE OL
December 27th, 2014 at 11:12 am
The Saints letting an OLinemen walk is akin to the Braves trading away a starting pitcher, you know both that lineman and pitcher are on the verge of ineffectiveness, buyer beware, and have a backup ready….
December 27th, 2014 at 11:13 am
Jesus Christ we need to stay the hell out of the market. Winning the offseason has done wonders for us before…
December 27th, 2014 at 11:18 am
We need to rebuild the entire O-line. I wouldn’t bring in players older than 28-29, because they need time to play together. Evans is a fine player, but at 31, he is only a temporary fix. We need a strong draft of players to turn things around.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:22 am
I have been watching this team since 1976 and I have NEVER rooted for a loss
Im not about to start now.
GO BUCS!!!!!!!!!!!! Beat those Saints tomorrow and let the cards fall where they may. For all of you Dumbphucks who think Professionals will go out there and tank one for the No.1 overall pick, congratulations, that is exactly what you are.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:35 am
If we go Winston with our 1st, get Fl. St. Cameron Erving (who was converted from tackle to his Center this year) in the 2nd. Could use him as Center, OT or Guard.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:35 am
I hope that the bucs have learned their lesson and don’t give any of these new guys a boatload of guaranteed money. that way they can dump any duds they get. I read the NE patriots don’t give a lot of guaranteed dollars. also, every draft NE trades down and picks up a lot of linemen. not glamorous but that was how they got mankins replacement on the cheap. they let them develop and then replace the guys that are over the hill.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:36 am
No!
December 27th, 2014 at 11:39 am
Hard headed Lovie will re shuffle the pieces, maybe add one, and call it fixed.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:41 am
“Joe knows many Bucs fans are sick and tired of Band-Aid moves on the offensive line”
——————————
Yeah, like sick of seeing former Bucs prosper elsewhere….
Change.
Again.
Soon.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:47 am
How about getting a good ol coach and draft high ranked prospect instead?
December 27th, 2014 at 11:49 am
Teams don’t let good players go if there is some gas in the tank….the guys the Bucs get and have gotten, were running on empty….
Simple as that…..(who keeps saying that?)
December 27th, 2014 at 11:50 am
@MadMax I agree, he is versatile like you said and could help make the transition easier for Winston…. Also wouldn’t mind Rashad Jennings if he’s available in the 3rd
December 27th, 2014 at 11:52 am
Wow, I’m shocked so many are against this. I can just about guarantee not one of you have been closely following the play of Evans (and of course neither have I). Usually, Bucs fans are all for kicking the tires of any has been available, no matter the age. How times have changed. 31 isn’t young, but it isn’t exactly old either. What happened to Nicks was a freak accident. Evans will be better than anything we have at guard. We aren’t going to be the greatest OL in a year, but Evans will at least make us better. I’m not saying we should do it, but our OL is so bad, I’d welcome any change.
December 27th, 2014 at 11:53 am
No more Saints OLine men!!!!
December 27th, 2014 at 11:55 am
“Teams don’t let good players go if there is some gas in the tank….the guys the Bucs get and have gotten, were running on empty….”
——
Talk about a ridiculous over-generalization! So the Chargers got rid of Vincent Jackson because he had no gas left in the tank? Hmmm, thanks for letting me know that. Teams get rid of great players every single year.
December 27th, 2014 at 12:11 pm
LOL….we have not had good luck with 2nd hand Saints OLmen….
December 27th, 2014 at 12:13 pm
Trade down twice in the 1st round and collect picks 2015 & 2016…with the 1st 3 picks this year
OT
OG
Center
December 27th, 2014 at 12:25 pm
Assuming (hopefully) QB is number one, the team can easily draft 2-3 linemen in the draft from the second round on. That leaves 4-5 picks for other positions. I’m fine with that.
Oh, I’ve noticed Jason Pierre-Paul is a free agent…
December 27th, 2014 at 12:34 pm
Round 2 we draft another TE
Round 3 we draft another RB
I know olines the biggest need but hey let’s just put competition on something we already have and fill our biggest needs with late round gambles
December 27th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
Gotta build from the OL & DL back…..this year the OL was SO FREAK’N bad it is simply impossible to judge the WR-RB-QB
December 27th, 2014 at 12:40 pm
Please God no. He’s old and expensive. If they’re going to spend big money get someone who’s younger and proven. Like Mike Iupati from San Fran.
December 27th, 2014 at 12:45 pm
I don’t think Anthony Collins forgot how to play o-line, get rid of all Cleveland Brown rejects, Warhop the coach, Cousins the guard and I think the Gilkey kid comes from there too. Get a real coach, move Collins to guard, train up the rooks and the o-line with a real coach and OC, will improve, IMO. Definitely no to Evans and I am sure Nicks will tell him about MRSA and playing in Tampa, so he will not come here except for the money. Get Winston and let this team grow
December 27th, 2014 at 12:46 pm
Unless a new FA stud O-lineman decides to test the market, teams will do their diligent best to keep them on their team so they don’t have to choose and use any of the duds that are available from last season. So if we do happen to court a couple of new free agents O-lineman, we are going to have to out offer other teams to entice them to sign here. I just don’t see that happening.
Personally, we need to trade down our first pick for a ton of more picks, then go heavy on stud O-lineman. Plain and simple. It would be nice to have double digit draft picks like Cleveland and St. Louis pulled off a few years ago when they traded their top pick. It sure would fill a lot of holes instead of relying so much on free agents. We see where that got us this year. Mariota or Winston could garner us quite a few more draft picks like RGIII did for St. Louis. And that was for the #2 pick.
December 27th, 2014 at 12:46 pm
@Alex, on thats note, trade down afew spots, draft Amari Cooper, then trade back up for RB Gurley! lol, Sarcasm at its best.
December 27th, 2014 at 1:42 pm
The majority of fringe players on NFL rosters are playing for their jobs this weekend. They know the draft yields each team at least 5 new players. That’s 5 roster spots that need to be cleared. Also consider Free Agency and Undrafted players and I’d assume the average roster turns over at least 10 guys. That’s 20%.
I’m betting there’s gonna be 20% of Buccaneers playing solid football tomorrow.
Sadly however, 80% of the Bucs roster can turnover again. So hopefully the Bucs will stay away from the Robert Herron picks and find another McDougald in those latter rounds.
1.QB (Want Winston, but at this point will take either)
2.BPA DL or OL
3. WR (Slot, potential #2 Ceiling) Speed and Great Hands.
4. BPA OL or DL
5. BPA DL or OL
6. BPA OL or DL
7. BPA
December 27th, 2014 at 1:56 pm
Parley the 1st overall pick…trade down twice…an PROCLAIM…the rebuilding will now commence !
December 27th, 2014 at 2:25 pm
I don’t have memories of Faine being terrible.
December 27th, 2014 at 3:12 pm
Faine…was nothing like his years before he came here….he was slip sliding away…on the biggest weekly paycheck of his career…see a pattern ? with high dollar FA’s….are you folks numb ?
December 27th, 2014 at 5:26 pm
Lmao … No way you reaching
December 27th, 2014 at 6:35 pm
No way on Evans. He’ll sign a big contract, and sit out every other game with lingering issues. Linemen are like major league pitchers, draft em, develop them, use the hell out of em and then let em go sign big contracts somewhere else. Let them be someone else’s problem. We do not need to spend big moneyvon o-line in free agency, just sign a cple mid tier guys and address it heavily in the draft.
I mentioned Cam Erving a month ago, we need that versatility after giving away Zuttah. Also Max Garcia from UF can be a solid power guard/center too.
I
December 28th, 2014 at 9:37 am
Lovie will draft all Offensive players (some will even be offensive, lol) again in 2015 and then only go after Defensive players in Free Agency. The Bucs then will have the first overall pick in 2016 and then hopefully a new head coach.